March 30 (SeeNews) - Slovenia's government said on Thursday it adopted a draft act on the construction and management of a second track of the Divaca–Koper railway line and sent it to parliament for approval.
The draft act aims is to ensure an effective funding model for the construction of the second track, with the smallest possible burden on public finances and the fastest possible implementation, the government said in a statement following its weekly meeting.
At the same time, the draft act maintains and improves the competitive position of the Port of Koper, clears the way for the earliest possible start to the implementation of preliminary works for the construction of the second track, maintains a uniform model of public railway infrastructure management, guarantees transparency of implementation of the investment and includes options for the participation of hinterland countries in funding the project, the government noted.
Slovenia is depending on securing funds for the project under the innovative financial instruments introduced by the European Commission's Investment Plan for Europe, also known as the "Juncker Plan", as well as through core EU transport network grants and a loan from the European Investment Bank.
Slovenia has also received letters of support for the project from the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia and Poland - hinterland countries which use the Adriatic port of Koper to export and import goods. In addition to sending a letter of support, Hungary has expressed its intention to make a capital investment in the project company, 2TDK.
The project will be implemented through the awarding of a 45-year concession contract to 2TDK to build and manage the second track. The concessionaire will transfer ownership of the infrastructure to the state upon expiry of the concession period.
When the second railway track becomes operational, the distance covered by freight will be reduced from 44.3 km to 27 km on the Divaca–Koper section, the journey time will decrease from 43–48 minutes to 15–21 minutes, train speed will increase to 100 km/h and the capacity of the railway connection will increase to some 220 trains per day, according to the statement.